Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Red Spectacles by Medicom, 2007

Another type of counter-terrorism trooper (see previous post), a totally different take from the modern forces. The Kerberos Panzer Cops were formed and tasked to handle all terrorist type activities in a fictional Japan that has become a totalitarian state after Germany won World War II and conquered the world (Thank GOD that didn't happen!). The Kerberos Panzer Cops are equipped with German military equipment, vehicles and weapons. The Protect-Gear is the full body armour used by Kerberos Panzer Cop Anti-Vicious Crime Division units.

This 1/6 scale 12" Kerberos Protect Gear Panzer Cop by Medicom is based on a 1987 Japanese feature film directed by Mamoru Oshii called "The Red Spectacles (紅い眼鏡)". It is the Kerberos saga's first movie and last episode in Oshii's Orwellian, dystopian Watchdog of Hell feature trilogy. Medicom has finally come full circle after having released Kerberos "Straydog" Panzer Cop (full review here) and "Jinroh: The Wolf Brigade" figure (review here)

I wasn't willing to get this figure at the original asking price because it just wasn't justifiable when compared to Takara's magnificent GenX Core Kerberos Protect Gear Chuichi Koshiramaru. However, I was able to find this figure recently at a much lower price so I just couldn't say no.

Medicom's Red Spectacles' box has that Frank Miller Sin City art effect of rain splatter on impact, using only black and white. Would've been nice to have the red eyes staring out from under the helmet.

Medicom Red Spectacles fully armored black-clad figure out of box

His Maschinengewehr 34 or MG34 is one molded piece except for the belt feed cover which can be lifted up to feed the ammo. No other moving parts :( This is actually an improvement over their earlier MGs but still poor compared to Takara's and Dragon's Straydog Kerberos Protect Gear Panzer Cop. Medicom's Red Spectacles Panzer Cop also has his Mauser C96 pistol, three spare gloved hands and two ammo belts, one short and the other long.

Part of the beauty of the Kerberos Protect Gear Panzer Cop - his fully covered face with gasmask and tubes, German Stahlhelm helmet and red eyes, black uniform and full body armor. The designation "panzer" (from pancier, body armour) is a German term, hence the World War II Panzer tanks.

Koichi Todome is a central figure in the Kerberos saga. In the trilogy, he is the Kerberos officer who led the "Kerberos Riot" movement when the Japanese government ordered the organization's dissolution. At the end of the siege, he escaped via helicopter and exiled himself with the promise to his men that he would return and free them later with the help of a newly created Kerberos force. Together with Soichiro Toribe and Midori Washio he forms the "Devil's Trio". [source: wiki]

One of the unique things about this particular version is the calculator embedded onto his chest armor. Not sure what it is for except to crunch the number of kills perhaps.

His nice backpack which holds his ammo belts for his MG34, his radio and oxygen tank

Close-up of his backpack

The Mauser C96 pistol is kept in his left gauntlet/forearm armor

Koichi Todome brings up the heavy artillery

Another view of his stored Mauser

The famous Kerberos emblem, a reference to Hades' three-headed watchdog of hell in the Greek mythology. This fictitious creature is better known in western countries under its Latin form, Cerberus, which is the character's name in the Roman mythology.

Yutaka Izubuchi's (who created the Protect-Gear armor used in the Kerberos saga) mecha design signature "Buchi-ana", the five dots logo is featured on the helmet. Note the left side details of his backpack.

The right side of his backpack houses his radio for communications. The central pack is for his ammunition. Below that should be the oxygen tank which is linked to his mask by oxygen hoses.

His other sidearm, the Walter P38 pistol holstered on his right side. This is one molded piece and non-removable :(

8 comments:

Leandro
said...

Hi, i'm from argentina, and my english is so bad.Man, i see recently your collection.. it's AMAZING!!!I collect figures, but only anime figures, and my collection is small (i'm only 18,and i started the past year).You are my hero, man, you are great!See you later! And one more time, congratulations.

Hi Leandro from Argentina, thank you for your compliments. I collect 1/6 figures because they offer me much more details and articulation which vinyl figures do not have PLUS I've been collecting for more than 15 years :) If you have the passion, one day you might even have more than me as I have to slow down because my house is running out of space - ha! ha! CHEERS!! Hope you visit my blog often ;p

This is a beautiful piece. I've always wanted one. this thing is, the first time i saw it I thought it was from Jin roh the Wolf Brigade anime so i would search online with that parameter and come up blank. Awesome collection by the way. I am guilty of envy and am in a way using yours as a template/ shopping list to further mine. hope you don't mind. Chad Lindsay

Hi ChadThanks for the compliments. About using my blog as a template/shopping list, please do. That was one of the many reasons I started this blog - to share the passion. All the best with your collection. CHEERS!

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